[Pkg-shadow-devel] shadow-utils 4.1.5: does not read configuration items with PAM support enabled

[Guido Trentalancia]

Hello,

it seems that shadow-utils 4.1.5 is not reading some configuration items
properly (at least when PAM support is enabled):

configuration error - unknown item 'FAILLOG_ENAB' (notify administrator)
configuration error - unknown item 'LASTLOG_ENAB' (notify administrator)
configuration error - unknown item 'MAIL_CHECK_ENAB' (notify
administrator)
configuration error - unknown item 'OBSCURE_CHECKS_ENAB' (notify
administrator)
configuration error - unknown item 'PORTTIME_CHECKS_ENAB' (notify
administrator)
configuration error - unknown item 'QUOTAS_ENAB' (notify administrator)
configuration error - unknown item 'MOTD_FILE' (notify administrator)
configuration error - unknown item 'ISSUE_FILE' (notify administrator)
configuration error - unknown item 'FTMP_FILE' (notify administrator)
configuration error - unknown item 'NOLOGINS_FILE' (notify
administrator)
configuration error - unknown item 'ENV_HZ' (notify administrator)
configuration error - unknown item 'PASS_MIN_LEN' (notify administrator)
configuration error - unknown item 'SU_WHEEL_ONLY' (notify
administrator)
configuration error - unknown item 'CRACKLIB_DICTPATH' (notify
administrator)
configuration error - unknown item 'PASS_CHANGE_TRIES' (notify
administrator)
configuration error - unknown item 'PASS_ALWAYS_WARN' (notify
administrator)
configuration error - unknown item 'CHFN_AUTH' (notify administrator)
configuration error - unknown item 'ENVIRON_FILE' (notify administrator)

This is generated from lib/getdef.c:395 and it is being triggered at
login or from userdel/useradd.

The variables are defined in /etc/login.defs and the file is readable.

I have not had much time to look at it, however by looking at some
online reports, it seems some sort of known/recurrent issue...

A patch proposed here:

http://permalink.gmane.org/gmane.comp.handhelds.openembedded.core/2385

is actually proposing to resolve the issue by commenting out the above
items from login.defs, but obviously that way it is not possible to
configure them.

It might perhaps be some sort of unintended behaviour triggered when
USE_PAM is defined ? How about a short note in top-level README or FAQ ?

Regards,

Guido